By convention, continents "are understood to be large, continuous, discrete masses of land, ideally separated by expanses of water". In modern schemes with five or more recognised continents, at least one pair of continents is joined

Early concepts of the Old World continents
The term "continent" translates Greek ἤπειρος, properly "landmass, terra firma", the proper name of Epirus and later especially used of Asia (i.e

Geologists use the term continent in a different manner from geographers. In geology, a continent is defined by continental crust, which is a platform of metamorphic

• Boundaries between the continents of Earth
• Dvipa
• Forgotten continent
• List of continent name etymologies

The following table provides areas given by Encyclopædia Britannica for each continent in accordance with the seven-continent model, including

Supercontinents
Apart from the current continents, the scope and meaning of the term continent includes past geological ones. Supercontinents, largely in evidence earlier in the geological record, are landmasses that comprise most of the

The following table lists the seven continents with their highest and lowest points on land, sorted in decreasing highest points.
The lowest exposed points are given for North America and Antarctica. The lowest non-submarine bedrock